Here we go again. We've seen this so many times. A national figure disrespects the gay community. That's the first act and today, it features nationally known pastor Rick Warren:
Act II - The gay community, justifiably insulted by the comments, will make our displeasure known.
Act III - Rick Warren will play the victim by either whining about how the gay community is intolerant of his opinion of them as arsenic. Groups like the Family Research Council will hail him as "standing on Biblical principles," and the entire situation will be looked at as us gay folks not being accepting of "someone else's point of view."
What always gets my goat is how when public figures attack the gay community, they are always quick to be technically dishonest and plead ennui. They refuse to acknowledge that they are attacking an actual group of people. Not a lifestyle, not state of being, but real people with real families.
Gays are not puppy dogs who should be "tolerated" or "condoned."
Gays are not hypothetical entities.
Gays are not streams of arguments in a philosophy class.
It's insulting enough when folks like Warren make such awful statements about our lives. It's even worse when after their attacks, they dismiss our basic and normal reaction of righteous indignation as "intolerance."
It's as if they don't think we are human beings and should take their insults with a good natured smile.
Transcript:Now allow me to predict what will probably happen next:
WARREN: Here’s what we know about life. I have all kinds of natural feelings in my life and it doesn’t necessarily mean that I should act on every feeling. Sometimes I get angry and I feel like punching a guy in the nose. It doesn’t mean I act on it. Sometimes I feel attracted to women who are not my wife. I don’t act on it. Just because I have a feeling doesn’t make it right. Not everything natural is good for me. Arsenic is natural.
Act II - The gay community, justifiably insulted by the comments, will make our displeasure known.
Act III - Rick Warren will play the victim by either whining about how the gay community is intolerant of his opinion of them as arsenic. Groups like the Family Research Council will hail him as "standing on Biblical principles," and the entire situation will be looked at as us gay folks not being accepting of "someone else's point of view."
What always gets my goat is how when public figures attack the gay community, they are always quick to be technically dishonest and plead ennui. They refuse to acknowledge that they are attacking an actual group of people. Not a lifestyle, not state of being, but real people with real families.
Gays are not puppy dogs who should be "tolerated" or "condoned."
Gays are not hypothetical entities.
Gays are not streams of arguments in a philosophy class.
It's insulting enough when folks like Warren make such awful statements about our lives. It's even worse when after their attacks, they dismiss our basic and normal reaction of righteous indignation as "intolerance."
It's as if they don't think we are human beings and should take their insults with a good natured smile.
The false equivalencies Warren displays are far too common and oh so telling. Punching another person in the face causes injury to that person. That is why it's wrong. Having sex with a woman other than your wife (assuming you're married) means that you are breaking your word to remain monogamous to said wife (assuming that monogamy was a part of your marital agreement, of course). Breaking your word to another person is also injurious and therefore wrong. Taking arsenic causes injury to oneself, which is just plain unwise and counterproductive.
ReplyDeleteFaux science aside, engaging in same sex romantic and sexual relationships are not inherently injurious to anyone. Therefore it is not in the same class of acts as those to which Warren disingenuously attempts to compare it. Indeed such relationship can offer everyone involved a great number of benefits. Those benefits potentially extend to society at large when you consider that empowering same sex couples to care for one another potentially spares the greater part of society to potentially shoulder that burden of care for either of them.
But then, I'm sure that Warren is also implicitly pushing the whole "homosexuality is just about sex" meme, so he'd never consider those benefits.
"Just because I have a feeling doesn’t make it right. Not everything natural is good for me."
ReplyDeleteFirst off: first homosexuality is unnatural to show how "immoral" it is (even though it's a bad argument; look up Appeal to Nature). Now you're admitting homosexuality is natural, yet you shouldn't "act" on it, and you make up a crappy analogy to further show how it's still "immoral".
Now then, the problem with Mr. Warren's...argument, is that; yeah, there are some feelings you shouldn't act on, in a given time and place. But sexual attraction to someone of X gender (I can't guarantee it scientifically, but I'm positive the mechanics that make heterosexuals become attracted to the "opposite" sex is the same for homosexuals) isn't an automatic "good" or "bad". Especally since feelings are not the same as actions. Feelings may lead to actions, but that's a naive excuse to say they're both the same. (Incidentally, I believe this line of thinking is why homophobes always say that homosexuality is always about the sex.)
On a final note, when Mr. Warren is being hugged and comforted by the Religious Right from the Big-Bad-Homosexuals, he can lecture them about not acting on their feelings. Especially about not acting on another woman who isn't your wife.
I think he's just trying to get another inauguration gig.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I live in Canada where people respect each other and can go to jail for hate statements.
ReplyDelete